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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dinner Recipes / Easy One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Easy One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice

April 3, 2017 By Alia 16 Comments

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

This One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice recipe is spicy, satisfying and so easy-to-make. It makes a perfect weeknight dinner, because it is ready to eat in just 30 minutes. Learn how to make southern shrimp and rice with this quick and simple skillet dinner recipe. 

Close-up overhead view of a bowl of One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice on a dark background.

You are going to love this hearty, Louisiana-style dish made with succulent shrimp, vegetables and rice. It is perfectly seasoned and bursting with piquant Cajun flavor, but is so simple to make. Best of all, everything gets cooked together in one pan. That means minimal cleanup is required to prepare this quick and tasty meal. ♡

How to Make Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Full instructions are included in the recipe below. But as a brief overview, to make this easy Cajun shrimp and rice recipe, simply:

  1. Cook the veggies: Sauté a vegetable medley of chopped onion, celery and bell pepper in a bit of olive oil and butter. These three vegetables are collectively known as “the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine”, as they provide the flavor base for the dish.
  2. Add the spices: Next, stir in a blend of Cajun spices and lightly cook them until fragrant. Gently cooking the spices allows them to bloom and release their aromas.
  3. Stir in the rice & broth: Add the rice and broth. Leave everything alone to cook, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
  4. Add the shrimp & lemon juice: Add the shrimp to the pot and allow it to cook for a few minutes until it is pink, curled and opaque. Finally, give your rice a good squeeze of lemon for a bit of brightness and balance out the heat from the Cajun seasoning. Dinner is served! 🙂

How easy is that?! This is truly a fast and simple Creole-style dinner recipe that is absolutely bursting with flavor.

Close-up overhead view of One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice.

Where to Buy High-Quality Shrimp

If you wondering where you can get the best shrimp, I recommend an incredible online seafood retailer: Vital Choice.

Vital Choice sells wild-caught, sustainably-harvested frozen and canned seafood from Alaska and the Northwest Pacific. You will find some of the best seafood money can buy, and they have an outstanding mail order system. The owners and executive staff at Vital Choice have decades of experience as professional fishermen. Their seafood is certified sustainable either by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the State of Alaska or Monterey Bay Aquarium’s SeafoodWatch program.

Vital Choice seafood is flash frozen at sea and shipped on dry ice to your home. And if you’re not satisfied for any reason, they will replace your product or refund your money. If you are having a hard time finding clean, sustainable shrimp near you – or if you want to skip the shopping AND get top-quality seafood delivered right to your door while you’re at it – then you have to try Vital Choice.

Click here to try out Vital Choice and get 10% off your first order with the discount code VCAF10! 

Overhead view of two bowls of One-Pan Cajun Shrimp and Rice on a dark background.

More Rice Dinner Recipes to Try

Looking for more rice dinner inspiration? Here are a some of my favorite recipes on the blog:

  • Thai Curry Shrimp and Rice
  • Chicken and Rice Soup
  • Pineapple Chicken Coconut Rice
  • Chinese Fried Rice
  • One-Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice

For this Cajun Shrimp and Rice recipe, I recommend:

Here are some tools that will make prepping the ingredients for this skillet shrimp and rice recipe an absolute breeze:

  • Ultra Chef Express Food Chopper – This is the one I have and it is one of my most-used kitchen tools. I use mine all the time to quickly chop up vegetables. I especially love using it to dice onions, because it saves me from all the tears!
  • OXO Stainless Steel Scraper – I purchased a bench scraper after seeing them being used on my favorite cooking shows. It is SUCH a handy tool for scraping up and transferring chopped food from the cutting board into the pan.

If you make this One-Pan Cajun Shrimp and Rice recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡ 

Don’t miss out! Click here to get exclusive discounts on my favorite healthy products and resources!

Close-up overhead view of a bowl of Cajun Shrimp and Rice on a dark background.

One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice

This One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice recipe is quick, easy and spicy. Learn how to make southern shrimp and rice with this simple skillet dinner recipe.
4.82 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main
Cuisine: Cajun
Keyword: Cajun Shrimp and Rice, Shrimp and Rice, Spicy Shrimp and Rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Alia | Everyday Easy Eats

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup uncooked white rice
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 pound wild-caught shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium pot or skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.
  • Add onion, celery and bell pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
  • Add garlic, paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
  • Stir in rice and broth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost cooked through.
  • Stir in the shrimp. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until shrimp is pink and opaque. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 293mg | Sodium: 1399mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1120IU | Vitamin C: 33.2mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 3.4mg
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Easy One-Pot Cajun Shrimp and Rice | Recipe at EverydayEasyEats.com
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amber says

    July 13, 2017 at 4:39 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night but added andouille sausage. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      July 15, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      Hi Amber! I am so glad you liked the recipe! Sausage is a great addition. You’re welcome!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lauren says

    December 9, 2017 at 11:58 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is great! I used chicken broth instead of vegetable and also added andouille sausage instead of shrimp. The spice is great and those who I’ve made it for loved it!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      December 9, 2017 at 3:57 pm

      Hi Lauren! Yay! 🙂 Thanks so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  3. Krystal says

    March 23, 2018 at 8:13 am

    5 stars
    I tried this last night and used both sausage and shrimp because my family is big on meat.. and they absolutely loved it.. thanks so much.!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      March 23, 2018 at 9:49 pm

      Hi Krystal! Yay! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe!! You’re very welcome! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Ashley says

    April 23, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    Into week 3 of cutting out added sugars and thought I’d try this as have been eating the same kind of meals since I started. Absolutely loved it, even though I left out all the spice as I don’t like spicy food it was still extremely flavoursome. May I just ask though, where does the 3g of sugar come from? Is it just from the white rice?

    Reply
    • Alia says

      April 24, 2018 at 7:51 pm

      Hi Ashley! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, the sugar comes mainly from the white rice. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Ed Matthews says

    August 18, 2018 at 3:54 pm

    What size shrimp do you use?

    Reply
    • Alia says

      August 18, 2018 at 7:11 pm

      Hi Ed! I like to use large or jumbo shrimp, but really any size of shrimp will work in this recipe – that’s why I didn’t specify the size in the ingredients list. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Lisa says

    December 27, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this tonight and my goodness what a good and easy recipe to follow! I added chicken to it for a little extra and it came out amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! My boyfriend and I truly enjoyed it!!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      December 31, 2018 at 8:15 pm

      Hi Lisa! That makes me so happy! I am so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the recipe! You’re very welcome and let me know if you try any of my other recipes! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    March 3, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    Can you make this less spicy? I can’t handle very spicy things & I’m afraid this might be too much for me but I would LOVE to try it! It sounds so good!!!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      March 3, 2019 at 7:26 pm

      Hi Kelly! Definitely! To make this recipe less spicy, just lessen or omit the cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. The spiciness/heat in this dish comes mostly from those two ingredients. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kendra Thompson says

    September 29, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious meal. Thankyou.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      September 29, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      Thanks so much Kendra!

      Reply

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Hi! My name is Alia and I am the founder and author of Everyday Easy Eats.

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